In "The Challenge of Exploring Venus," the author describes why putting a man on the moon seems like a walk in the park compared to the horrendous obstacles preventing humans from pushing the frontier with visiting one of Earth's neighbors, Venus. The thick atmosphere is toxic to us. The clouds of sulfuric acid, the incredibly high temperatures on the planet's surface, and pressure would present challenges to mankind and its technology.

Yet, the author sees that mankind cannot be afraid of the risks when the rewards are so great. In "The Challenge of Exploring Venus," the idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it presents is supported through Venus' vast similarities to Earth, Venus' proximity to Earth, and the innovation in machines by researchers that could make them work long enough to expand mankind's knowledge on Venus.

The idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers is supported through Venus' vast similarites to Earth, which is why humans have such interest in this particular planet. The author explains points in Venus' history that have intrigued astronomers, "Long ago, Venus was probably covered largelyt with oceans and could have supported various forms of life, " (4). Besides having been closer to Earth's "twin" many years ago, Venus may be more similar than humans thought, shown through "The planet has a surface of rocky sediment and includes familiar features such as valleys, mountains, and craters," (4). Studying Venus could lead to us knowing why this planet is such a far cry from Earth now, and this could provide valuable with how humans interact with their environment. If Venus has such similar features to Earth, like valleys, then there is probably more to discover on Venus' surface. This peculiar connection between this planet and Venus shows how valuable exploration could prove, just as Venus' proximity further supports how worthy of a pursuit Venus is.

The idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the presented dangers is supported through Venus' proximity. The author conveys the usefulness of having Venus so close, "Because Venus is sometimes right around the corner-in space terms-humans have sent numerous spacecraft to land on this cloud-draped world," (2). Time and distance can be very influential in making groundbreaking decisions, like pursuing the exploration of Venus, as can be seen through, "...Venus can be sometimes be our nearest option for a planetary visit, a crucial consideration given the long time frames of space travel," (4). Humans love to have everything near by, like schools, work, and more, because of the convenience; the same benefit is seen with Venus. When the planet is close, the fuel needed would not be the same if humans were trying to get to Jupiter. There would be less of a chance of losing them. Time is essential in space, given humans' limited control out there, so proximity makes it that much easier for us to make the bold move. Venus's proximity gives reason to continue working towards exploring Venus, just as the innovations in machines have.

The idea that Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it brings is supported through the innovation in machines that could make the close-up exploration of Venus possible. NASA's advancements for Venus exploration are promising, "For example, some simplified electronics made of silicon carbide have been tested in a chamber simulating the chaos of Venus's surface and have lasted for three weeks in such chaos," (7). Humans would not be able to use the most advanced technology, but durability is the goal, "By comparison, systems (mechanical computers that use gears and levers to calculate) that use mechanical parts can be made more resistant to pressure, heat, and other forces," (7). If humans were to only hover over Venus, the possibilites are limited. Humans and technology have to be as close as possible. Technology that could last for a few weeks is enough to vastly expand our knowledge. Mechanical computers are now obsolete, but in Venus would be a valuable tool, just like the other electonics being made. Researchers have worked tirelessly to continue making Venus exploration a reasonable reality.

In "The Challenge of Exploring Venus," the idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it presents is supported through Venus' vast similarities to Earth, Venus' proximity to Earth, and the innovation in machines by researchers that could make them work long enough to expand mankind's knowledge on Venus. The idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers is supported through Venus' vast similarites to Earth, which is why humans have such interest in this particular planet. The idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the presented dangers is conveyed through Venus' proximity. The idea that Venus is a worthy pursuit despite its hostile environment is supported through the innovation in machines that could make the close-up exploration of Venus possible. The author believes that sometimes humans cannot let curiosity, imagination, and innovation be trampled by the dangers and doubts. Humans cannot live in fear all the time. The human spirit always demands that humans continue striving towards knowing more.   